One of the most important things you can do if you are pregnant or trying to conceive is to start taking supplements packed with essential vitamins and minerals to support yours and the baby’s health. This is particularly true of mothers who follow a vegan lifestyle, which is why we developed 100%

Why Take Vegan Prenatal Vitamins?

When you become pregnant, your nutritional needs change. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a daily prenatal vitamin is the best way to fill any gaps that you may have in your diet. While most vegans are very conscious about what they eat, it’s easy to miss out on some vital nutrients when relying on diet alone. You aren’t just eating for two when you’re pregnant, you’re eating to replenish the resources that your baby depletes as they are developing. Vegan prenatal vitamins are an easy way to support you and your baby no matter your diet or lifestyle. 

Vitamins Included in the Prenatal Focus Bundle

Vegan Life Nutrition’s Prenatal Focus Bundle includes the following vitamins and minerals in our Prenatal/Postnatal Basic product, as well as 550mgs of Choline per serving in our “Prenatal Focus” product: 

• Vitamin A (beta carotene)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
• Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol)
• Vitamin K (menaquinone K2-MK7)
• Thiamin (thiamin mononitrate)
• Riboflavin (riboflavin sodium phosphate)
• Niacin (niacinamide)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate)
• Folate ((6s)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt)
• Vitamin B12 (methlycobalamin)
• Biotin (d-biotin)
• Pantothenic Acid (d-calcium panthothenate)
• Calcium (calcium carbonate, plant-derived)
• Iron (ferrous bisglycinate chelate)
• Iodine (kelp, laminaria digitata)
• Magnesium (magnesium chelate)
• Zinc (zinc bisglycinate chelate)
• Selenium (selenium glycinate)
• Copper (copper bisglycinate chelate)
• Manganese (manganese bisglycinate chelate)
• Chromium (chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate)
• Molybdenum (molybdenum glycinate chelate)
  

Learn more about why you need these essential supplements during pregnancy.

Prenatal Vitamins for Every Mom

Our main objective when developing the Prenatal Focus Bundle a vegan prenatal vitamin that could provide essential vitamins for vegan, vegetarian, and non-plant-based moms alike.

These supplements were design to help mom and baby maintain healthy digestion, promote healthy fetal cell division and development, support fetal brain, spinal cord, heart, muscle, bone, nerve, and skin development, and promote healthy placenta growth and red blood cell development. *

To discover more about how you can support your health during a vegan pregnancy, check out this blog.

Vegan Life Nutrition

Vegan Life Nutrition offers more than prenatal and postnatal supplements. Discover our full line of vegan products on our website.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The post Vegan Prenatal Vitamins | NEW from Vegan Life Nutrition appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

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For this reason, we at Vegan Life Nutrition, recommend supplementing those vital vitamins and minerals to support the mom’s health as well as fetal and newborn development throughout pregnancy and postpartum. 

Is it Safe to be Vegan While Pregnant?

The short answer to this question is: yes, vegan women have perfectly healthy pregnancies all the time. That being said, a typical vegan diet makes it more difficult to get the recommended daily value (RDV) of essential vitamins to support healthy pregnancy and postpartum nutrient intake. 

When you’re pregnant, your nutrients are depleted very quickly because you’re providing for your growing baby. The mother’s body will focus first on sending nutrients to the growing fetus before nurturing itself. Because of this, there is a heavy emphasis on tracking vitamin and mineral intake while pregnant, especially for vegan moms-to-be.

This can be exceptionally difficult for vegan moms, as many of the essential nutrients for prenatal and postnatal health are most commonly found in animal products like meat and dairy. 

Vitamins You Need When You’re Vegan and Pregnant 

There are several vitamins and minerals that women should be tracking while pregnant, including:

H3: Iron

According to Modern Fertility, the non-heme iron that comes from plant-based sources is 50% as effective as iron that comes from animal sources. This means that vegans roughly need to consume twice as much iron as non-vegans to achieve the same benefits. 

During pregnancy, your blood volume increases by 50% on average to support the transfer of oxygen and nutrients across the placenta. It can be difficult to support this increase in blood volume just by eating iron-rich foods, especially for vegan women. This is why we recommend prenatal supplements with iron to make sure moms-to-be get their RDV. 

Zinc

Zinc plays an integral role in pregnancy as it aids in things like:

• Mom’s Estrogen and Progesterone Production
• Baby’s DNA Synthesis and Cell Division
• Formation of Baby’s Senses like Taste, Touch, and Smell

Unfortunately, zinc has limited bioavailability, meaning that, when ingested, only a small portion of the zinc is absorbed into the bloodstream, leaving the rest to flush itself out. This is particularly true of plant-based zinc sources, meaning that vegan women need to ingest more zinc than non-vegans during pregnancy. 

Choline

Choline is a Vitamin B-like nutrient that is essential for fetal neurological and nervous system development. Choline is found most prominently in eggs and liver, so supplementation from a vegan source is necessary to ensure vegan moms are getting the adequate amount beyond their diet.

Vitamin B12

Getting a daily dose of B12 is not a concern for most omnivorous eaters, since animal products are typically rich in the vitamin. However, deficiency is a significant concern among vegans. 

A Vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy can lead to weakness, fainting, nausea and even birth defects. Because of this, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all vegans take B12 supplements during pregnancy to achieve the recommended intake of at least 2.6 mcg per day. 

Vitamin D 

Deficiencies in Vitamin D are not unique to vegans. Most people, especially those living in the Northern Hemisphere, don’t get enough Vitamin D from their diet and sunlight exposure. Without sufficient Vitamin D during pregnancy, things like the development of bones, immune system support, and even blood sugar regulation could be compromised. 

A well-rounded vegan prenatal and postnatal supplement that includes these nutrients and more is typically recommended to support the health of mother and baby. It is always important to consult with an OB/GYN first before taking any supplements while trying to conceive, pregnant, and breastfeeding.

Vegan Life Nutrition has developed comprehensive Prenatal and Postnatal Supplement Bundles to take the guesswork out of taking your vitamins while you’re vegan and pregnant. 

Prenatal and Postnatal Vitamins from Vegan Life Nutrition

This month, Vegan Life Nutrition is releasing the Prenatal Focus Bundle and the Postnatal Focus Bundle to provide 20+ essential vitamins and minerals for before, during, and after pregnancy, including: 

• Vitamin A (beta carotene)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
• Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol)
• Vitamin K (menaquinone K2-MK7) 
• Thiamin (thiamin mononitrate) 
• Riboflavin (riboflavin sodium phosphate) 
• Niacin (niacinamide)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate)
• Folate ((6s)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt) 
• Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)
• Biotin (d-biotin)
• Pantothenic Acid (d-calcium pantothenate)
• Calcium (calcium carbonate, plant-derived)
• Iron (ferrous bisglycinate chelate)
• Iodine (kelp, laminaria digitata)
• Magnesium (magnesium chelate)
• Zinc (zinc bisglycinate chelate)
• Selenium (selenium glycinate)
• Copper (copper bisglycinate chelate) Manganese (manganese bisglycinatechelate)
• Chromium (chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate) 
• Molybdenum (molybdenum glycinate chelate)
• Choline

The Prenatal Focus Bundle and Postnatal Focus Bundle are 100% vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, cruelty-free, and free of artificial colors. To learn more about our new Bundles, check out this blog. 

Here at Vegan Life Nutrition, we are dedicated to providing a complete line of  nutritional supplements for everyone – including vegan moms. Discover our complete line of clean, high quality, plant-based products.

The post Vegan and Pregnant: What Vitamins Should I Take? appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.